International

• Wednesday, May 23rd 2012 - 18:38 UTC

  Euro-zone tells members to prepare contingency plans for a possible Greek exit

  

  Euro zone officials have told members of the currency area to prepare contingency plans in case Greece quits the bloc, an eventuality which Germany's central bank said would be testing but “manageable”.

• Wednesday, May 23rd 2012 - 06:28 UTC

  Ambassador Castro embroiled in controversy over Falklands and “possible constitutional reform”

  

  Argentine ambassador in UK Alicia Castro rejects having mentioned during a conference in London the “possibility of a constitutional reform” to incorporate the results in the event of a sovereignty negotiation over the disputed Falklands/Malvinas Islands.

• Wednesday, May 23rd 2012 - 03:56 UTC

  Spain, on the edge of a financial cliff, cancels all development aid to Latin America

  

  The Spanish government announced this week it was cancelling all development aid to Latin American countries as a direct consequence of the financial strains the EU member is suffering, which is the worst in decades with record unemployment of 24%.

• Wednesday, May 23rd 2012 - 01:53 UTC

  Chile not interested in joining G20 at the expense of Argentina’s membership

  

  Chile is not interested in joining the G-20 of leading advanced and emerging economies if that means sacking Argentina, said President Sebastián Piñera administration’s spokesperson, Andres Chadwick.

• Wednesday, May 23rd 2012 - 01:44 UTC

  Fitch downgrades Japan’s credit rating fearful of political stalemate and snowballing debt

  

  Fitch cut Japan's sovereign credit status on Tuesday to the lowest level among global ratings agencies as a political stalemate dims the chance that the country can curb its snowballing debt.

• Wednesday, May 23rd 2012 - 01:24 UTC

  UN says half of global fisheries are exhausted and a further third depleted

  

  Marking the International Day for Biological Diversity, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon highlighted on Tuesday the fragile state of the world’s oceans, urging greater protection for marine biodiversity.

• Wednesday, May 23rd 2012 - 01:22 UTC

  Spain anticipated the economy will continue to slump in the second quarter

  

  Spain said it would meet its deficit targets this year despite a new slippage in its regions' accounts and a further contraction of the economy in the second quarter.

• Wednesday, May 23rd 2012 - 01:16 UTC

  Falkland Oil & Gas expects farm-in deal with “a listed independent” firm

  

  The political noise stirred up by Argentina over the Falkland Islands will not deter big energy firms from investing in the region if there is enough oil found to make it worthwhile, said the chief executive of exploration company Falkland Oil & Gas.

• Tuesday, May 22nd 2012 - 18:55 UTC

  NATO aggress to leave Afghanistan end of 2014: what happens later is anybody’s guess

  

  NATO leaders sealed a landmark agreement to hand control of Afghanistan over to its own security forces by the middle of next year, putting the Western alliance on an “irreversible” path out of an unpopular, decade-long war.

• Tuesday, May 22nd 2012 - 18:43 UTC

  Women commanders take over HMS Portland and Patrol Boat Squadron

  

  Two Royal Navy commanders have accomplished two major achievements: Commander Sarah West, aged 40, joins Type 23 frigate HMS Portland in Rosyth on Tuesday becoming the first woman in the Royal Navy's history to be selected to command a major warship.